Just Have to Brag a Bit

I hope you will pardon a grandfather for being proud and wanting to brag a bit. I hope (and think) I have featured each of my grandchildren here from time to time for their various achievements. I know I have mentioned Anders' growing accomplishments in cross country skiing before, but yesterday we were present at the annual Birkebeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin for his participation in the Kortelopet event, which is a 29km race (slightly more than 18 miles).

All of the Birkebeiner events finish on Main Street in town. The city hauls in loads of snow to cover the street for this purpose. About 10" of fresh snow had arrived a few days before, so the trail was in very good condition too. Yesterday, though, the sun was shining and the sky was blue, though the temperatures were around only 0ºF when the race began.

Anders finished 1st out of 40 men in his age group (13-14 years), 23rd out of 892 participating men, and 23rd overall out of all 1,582 participants. Below you can see him as he nears the finish line, as he attempts to cool down while staying warm with a blanket, posing with his parents, and posing with one very happy grandfather.

His next events will be at the Junior National Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska March 13-16. He qualified as number one in the U16 group (14-15 years old) to be a part of the Midwest Division team that will travel to Alaska.

 

 

Staying in Touch

I haven't posted anything here in awhile, but we've been busy with various things, so it seems a good time to share some news. Each of us has dealt with various, probably age-related, aches and discomforts, but generally our health has been good. Little slows us down. I have another full post-cancer checkup scheduled for April, but all news on that front has been and continues to be good so far.

 We are currently at our cabin in Wisconsin enjoying the snow (really!) and the crisp, pine-scented air. Strange, but a given temperature never feels as cold here as it does back home. Perhaps the drier humidity level has something to do with that, perhaps having wind blocked by the forest helps, or maybe it is being able to enjoy our cozy home in the woods with its fireplace and other comforts.

When we arrived, we found over 2' of snow on the ground and on the roofs of our cabin and garages. I always worry a little about the weight of all that snow, but so far the trusses seem to be holding up--this isn't the first time for so much snow. The individual who has kept our entrance plowed created quite a hill of snow at the end of the driveway, and the pathway to the front door was quite narrow, though deer have been using it regularly.

 

 Of course, we guys like our "big boy toys." I have a nice snow blower here, so I got a chance to do some additional clearing of snow at the entrances to our garages, to widen the path to the front door, and to clear the heavy snow from our deck. Later, I used a long "snow rake" to pull snow from the cabin roof below each skylight, since failing to do so often results in ice dams and some dripping water inside the cabin.

Through the winter months back home, I managed to finish a couple of woodworking projects. I made a simple hall tree which has proven to be a nice addition for guests' hats and coats. I also made a quilt rack to display a quilt that Kathie made with some help from her sister. The quilt was made from most of my old work neckties. It is really pretty--I'm very proud of the work Kathie did on this, and now the quilt rack both displays and protects it. (Double click on the photo of the quilt for a closer look!)

 

 We love our new home in Iowa, but the kitchen likely had not been altered since the home was built in 1994. A number of the cupboards and drawers were showing significant wear or had broken, so we decided to do some updating. We picked out new cupboards, countertops and backsplash as shown below. Before we left home to come to Wisconsin, the old cabinets were removed. Since we have been away, the floor has been refinished. New cabinets are scheduled to be installed next week and other work to follow soon after. Being away while all of this is going on is a good thing!

 

We have enjoyed watching our grandchildren in various activities this past winter. Anders has been skiing very well and has qualified at the top of the Midwest in his age group. He will compete in the Junior National Trials in Fairbanks, AK in March. Via event streaming services, we have seen several of his past races. He will compete at the end of February in one of the Birkebeiner events in Hayward, WI near our cabin. So, we'll get to see him in person for that.

Penny was part of a choral concert during December.

Over the holidays, Jessica's family visited for a few days. There was card playing and a Hawkeye women's basketball game to attend, and I showed Leo how to use the lathe to turn a small goblet from walnut.

In January, Betsy's family visited, and we attended a Hawkeye men's basketball game. Ice cream may have been involved.

And Pete is often good for a laugh.

At the end of February, we are flying to Arizona to spend the month of March with friends there and to see a number of spring training baseball games. So...more news later from there!